Methods for Applying Artificial Tanning Liquid or Semi-Solid Product Using a Brush

ABSTRACT

A method of applying a liquid or semi-solid artificial tanning product to the skin comprising the steps of applying a small amount of a liquid or semi-solid tanning product to a makeup brush, contacting an area of skin with the makeup brush, using a circular motion to apply the product to the area of skin, allowing the product to dry on the skin, and optionally repeating these on the same area of skin or moving to a new area of skin, is presented.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a regular utility application filed under 35 USC 111(a) claiming the benefit of provisional application No. 61/633,204 filed Feb. 7, 2012 under 35 USC 119(e).

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to artificial or sunless self-tanning products and methods for applying these tanning products to the skin. More specifically the invention is drawn a method for applying a liquid or semi-solid tanning product to the skin using a brush.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Artificial or sunless tanning is a healthy alternative to getting a tan via natural exposure to the sun's UV rays or artificial UV rays created by lights such as in tanning beds or chambers. Artificial or sunless or tanning products may be of liquid, semi-solid, as in a cream or gel, or powder form. Tanning products containing dihydroxyacetone (DHA) boost the skins natural melanin content resulting in a deep, natural glow which continues to deepen over time. DHA is a chemical that interacts with the amino acids in skin cells to increase melanin levels in the skin. Alternatively, a bronzer actually leaves pigment on the skin and may not contain DHA.

Semi-solid tanning products, being creams or gels, have generally been applied by direct application such as rubbing the product on the skin, while the liquid products are sprayed directly onto the skin in aerosol mist or pump spray applicator form such is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,890 to Punto et al. Direct application of creams or lotions however can cause the palms of the hand to be stained or, if gloves are used, stained rings at the edge of the gloves. Further, applying lotions or creams using bare palms often produces streaks because it is hard to coat the skin evenly. When powdered sunless tanning products are applied with a brush, these products sit on top of the skin and clog pores causing skin to be oily or making it look flakey. A method of applying sunless tanning products that does not cause stained hands or wrists, avoid streaks, and/or unnatural caking appearance of powders on the skin is needed.

The definition of artificial or sunless tanning for the present purposes is supplied herein. Artifiical or sunless tanning, also known as UV-free tanning, self-tanning, spray tanning when applied to the skin, or fake tanning, refers to the application of chemicals to the skin to produce an effect similar in appearance to a naturally obtained suntan. A sunless or artificial tanning product is defined as any natural or man-made composition that produces an increase in melanin in the skin and thus imparts darker brown or tan color. These products are available as gels, lotions, mousses, sprays and wipes, and usually contain DHA but some of which also use erythrulose which works identically to DHA, but develops more slowly.

A bronzer is hereby defined as any agent that supplies a temporary darkening of the skin. These come in powders, sprays, mousse, gels, lotions and moisturizers. Once applied, they create a tan that can easily be removed with soap and water. Like make-up, these products tint or stain a person's skin only until they are washed off. These products may contain a pigment as well as erythrulose and/or DHA.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a method for applying a liquid or semi-solid artificial self-tanning product to the skin using a specific brush. The method presented uses a brush to apply a liquid or semi-solid tanning product preventing staining of the hands or wrists, and also preventing streaking and caking of a powder on the skin. Use of this method provides for an even, smooth, and natural looking tan and prevents oils from the hand from clogging pores, especially on the face.

Other aspects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the method of applying the liquid or semi-solid tanning product to the brush.

FIG. 2 is an elevation illustrating how much product should be applied to the brush.

FIG. 3 is an elevation illustrating how to apply the method of the present invention.

Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown, since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

As shown in FIG. 1, a liquid or semi-solid, such as a gel, artificial tanning product 10 that may also be a bronzer, is sprayed from a dispenser 11 onto a brush 12. The dispenser 11 used is pump spray bottle. For a liquid product about 1 or 2 pumps are sprayed onto the brush 12 so as to coat the tips evenly. For a semi-solid, about 1 to 3 pumps are sprayed onto the brush so as to coat it evenly. The amount of product from each pump of the spray bottle yielded is about 100-300 μl of product or about 0.1 g-0.3 g. Alternatively, the brush may be dipped in a liquid or semi-solid tanning product. The brush 12 used is a kabuki makeup brush. This brush can be one commonly used to apply powdered cosmetics. It has short, generally about 2.5 cm to 5 cm (1-2 inch) long bristles 13 and a short stem 14. The diameter of the brush is generally about 2.5 cm to 7.5 cm (1-3 inches). The bristles 13 may be natural or synthetic and the brush may be flat or rounded on the top.

Preferred products for application are a liquid or semi-solid, artificial tanning product or bronzer that can be sprayed from a pump spray bottle 11. The liquid tanning product used for the present method is a bronzer and is comprised of water, propylene, glycol, decyl glucoside, tocopheryl acetate, ascorbic acid, retinyl palmitate, organic camellia oleifera seed extract, organic vitis vinifera seed extract, organic aloe barbadensis leaf extract, xanthan gum, disodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol, and ethyhexylglycerin, and is sold as Spray di Solé Liquid Bronzer by Spray di Sole. This liquid bronzer can be obtained from their company in Studio City, Calif., USA, and via their website www.spraydisole.com. The semi-solid tanning product is an artificial or sunless tanner and is comprised of water, dihydroxyacentone (DHA), organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, organic simmondsia chinensis seed oil, caprylic capricTgriglyceride, isopropyl myristate, certearyl alcohol, ceteareth-20 glycerin, palmitoyl tripeptide-5, acetyl hexapeptide-8, organic camellia sinensis leaf extract, algae extract, dicetyl phosphate, ceteth-10 phosphate, dimethicone, phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-7 glyceryl cocoate, tocopherol acetate, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol, and is sold as Spray di Solé's SUN GELEE product. The SUN GELEE product can be obtained at www.spraydisole.com. The Kabuki brush used in this method can also be obtained from the Spray di Solé company at www.spraydisole.com.

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the brush used in the present method and amount of product that can be applied to the brush. For the present method, a wide, rounded brush 12 with synthetic densely packed bristles 13 was used. The amount of product on the brush is important in that if too much product is applied it won't spread evenly onto the skin. The roots of the brush 15 attached to the stem 14, should still be dry, while the tips 16 should be wet, as illustrated by cross-hatched area. In various embodiments of the invention, the amount of the bristles that are dry and wet include: 95% dry and 5% wet, 90% dry and 10% wet, 85% dry and 15% wet, 80% dry and 20% wet, 70% dry and 30% wet, and 60% dry and 40% wet.

FIG. 3 shows application of the product onto the skin 20. It is recommended to test the product on a test patch of skin twenty-four hours before proceeding with the following method to ensure there is no allergic reaction to the product. The skin 20 should be clean and free of other products prior to application. For the first step of the method, product 10 is applied to the brush preferably by spraying from the pump spray bottle using between about 1 and 3 pumps, which is equivalent to about 100-900 μl or about 0.1-0.9 grams. The brush 12 is then put in contact with the skin 20 and product 10, being on the end of the bristles, is applied to the skin in a circular motion 21 using small or short strokes about 2.5 cm to about 7.5 cm (0.5-3 inches) in diameter. When the brush has been depleted of product, more product may be sprayed or dipped onto the brush. This can be repeated as long as the brush is sufficiently dry between applications such that too much product is not on the brush for application. To optionally apply a second coat to the same area of skin the skin should be left to dry for a few minutes, about 2-3, before applying the second, or subsequent coats. Second or subsequent coats will result in the skin 20 becoming darker in color. Coats should be added to produce the color desired. The sunless tanning product may take up to eight hours for the tan to fully develop. This method may be self-applied, as in application to one's own skin, or applied by another person to the subject's skin. Since between about 100-1200 μl of product is applied per 5-50 cm² area, and in general two coats are used for each application at about 200-2400 μl, or 0.2-2.4 g per coated area, approximately 1-2 fluid ounces of product will be needed for application to the whole body depending on body size and number of applications desired. If the brush is kept at appropriate dry/wet ratios, the skin covering an entire body can be treated with product without the need for cleaning the brush. Following at least every other application to the entire body the brush may be washed with an anti-bacterial soap and left to dry completely.

This method of applying artificial tanning products produces an even appearance, glow, and texture to the skin immediately. It can be used to camouflage problem skin conditions such as varicose veins, stretch marks, and cellulite. For severe skin conditions such as vitiligo, the loss of melanin, and melisma, or dark patches, consistent use of this method provides a more normal skin appearance.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the disclosed embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made and still the result will come within the scope of the invention. No limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred. Each apparatus embodiment described herein has numerous equivalents. 

We claim:
 1. A method of applying an artificial tanning product to skin comprising the steps of: a) applying a tanning product to a makeup brush; b) contacting an area of skin with the makeup brush of step a; c) moving the brush in contact with the area of skin in a circular motion keeping the brush in contact with the skin; d) allowing the product to dry on the skin; e) optionally repeating steps a through d on the same area of skin; and f) optionally moving to a new area of skin and repeating steps a through d.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the artificial tanning product is a liquid or semi-solid.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the brush is dipped in the artificial tanning product.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein the tanning product is applied to the brush with a pump spray bottle dispenser.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein a kabuki makeup brush is used.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the brush is between about 5% and about 40% coated with the tanning product.
 7. The method of claim 5 wherein the tanning product is a liquid and the amount of product applied to the brush is about 1 to 3 pumps from the spray bottle.
 8. The method of claim 5 wherein the tanning product is a semi-solid and the amount of product applied to the brush is about 1 to 4 pumps from the spray bottle.
 9. The method of claim 5 wherein the liquid or semi-solid is a bronzing product and is comprised of water, propylene, glycol, decyl glucoside, tocopheryl acetate, ascorbic acid, retinyl palmitate, organic camellia oleifera seed extract, organic vitis vinifera seed extract, organic aloe barbadensis leaf extract, xanthan gum, disodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol, and ethyhexylglycerin.
 10. The method of claim 5 wherein the liquid or semi-solid is an artificial tanning product and is comprised of water, dihydroxyacentone (DHA), organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, organic simmondsia chinensis seed oil, caprylic capricTgriglyceride, isopropyl myristate, certearyl alcohol, ceteareth-20 glycerin, palmitoyl tripeptide-5, acetyl hexapeptide-8, organic camellia sinensis leaf extract, algae extract, dicetyl phosphate, ceteth-10 phosphate, dimethicone, phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-7 glyceryl cocoate, tocopherol acetate, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol.
 11. A method of applying a tanning product to a human body, the method comprising the steps of: a. coating a portion of a bristle end of a brush with the liquid tanning product; b. contacting said coated bristle end of the brush with a portion of the human body; c. moving said coated bristle end in a circular motion over the portion of the human body with the result of transferring tanning product to the surface of the human body; d. allowing the tanning product transferred to the human body to dry; e. optionally repeating steps a to d on the same portion of the human body; and f. optionally repeating steps a to d on a different portion of the human body.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the artificial tanning product is a liquid or semi-solid.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the brush is dipped in the artificial tanning product.
 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the tanning product is applied to the brush with a pump spray bottle dispenser.
 15. The method of claim 12 wherein a kabuki makeup brush is used.
 16. The method of claim 14 wherein the tanning product is a liquid and the amount of product applied to the brush is about 100 μl to about 900 μl or about 0.1 to about 0.9 grams.
 17. The method of claim 14 wherein the tanning product is a semi-solid and the amount of product applied to the brush is about 100 μl to about 1200 μl or about 0.1 to about 1.2 grams.
 18. The method of claim 14 wherein the liquid or semi-solid is a bronzing product and is comprised of water, propylene, glycol, decyl glucoside, tocopheryl acetate, ascorbic acid, retinyl palmitate, organic camellia oleifera seed extract, organic vitis vinifera seed extract, organic aloe barbadensis leaf extract, xanthan gum, disodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol, and ethyhexylglycerin.
 19. The method of claim 14 wherein the liquid or semi-solid is an artificial tanning product and is comprised of water, dihydroxyacentone (DHA), organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, organic simmondsia chinensis seed oil, caprylic capricTgriglyceride, isopropyl myristate, certearyl alcohol, ceteareth-20 glycerin, palmitoyl tripeptide-5, acetyl hexapeptide-8, organic camellia sinensis leaf extract, algae extract, dicetyl phosphate, ceteth-10 phosphate, dimethicone, phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-7 glyceryl cocoate, tocopherol acetate, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol.
 20. A method for applying an artificial tanning product or bronzer that is a liquid or a semi-solid comprising: a. applying the product to a brush; b. wherein the product is applied to the brush from a dispenser that is a pump spray bottle; c. wherein the brush is a Kabuki brush with at least a 2.5 cm diameter; d. wherein the amount of product applied is about 100 to 1200 μl; e. contacting said brush to an area of human skin and moving said brush in a circular motion wherein the area of human skin contacted is about 2.5 to 7.5 cm in diameter; f. allowing the area of human skin contacted to dry for a period of time that is between about two and about three minutes; g. optionally repeating steps a through f on the same area of human skin as in step e; and h. optionally repeating steps a through f on a different area of human skin than in step e. 